The present invention relates to a machine with a drive train.
The following discussion of related art is provided to assist the reader in understanding the advantages of the invention, and is not to be construed as an admission that this related art is prior art to this invention.
Drive trains for machines typically include a drive unit, an output unit and a gear unit which interconnects the drive unit and the output unit. The tribologically stressed components of the gear unit, especially in the form of gearings and roller bearings, are subject to high levels of stress during operation of the machine, resulting in different types of damage. Such damage can be countered firstly by a corresponding design of the gear unit components, based around an appropriate selection of the dimensions, geometry and material of the components and the structural properties, to mention just a few examples. Secondly the composition of the lubricant can be varied. Thus for example aging can be retarded by the addition of additives, which counters premature wear and tear of tribologically stressed surfaces. Individual gear unit components may be insulated electrically, for example the bearings, in order to prevent arcing between the components when there are large differences in potential. Such arcing could cause damage.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved machine and improved method of operating a machine to obviate prior art shortcomings and to effectively minimize wear and tear and damage to tribologically stressed components of a gear unit in a simple and inexpensive way so as to extend a service life of the gear unit.